Let me start with a program note, before diving into MHCommunities, MHRetailers and You.

For about two years, Marty and Pat Lavin have been suggesting we visit them on their boat at Miami Beach. My family and I have longed to go, but busy schedules kept that at bay, until now. We've set aside this next weekend for that long-awaited trip. The timing means we get to see their new 72' boat.

This also means that my weekend blog post is already written. It's packed, it will rile, motivate and more…

….so please don't miss it.

MHCommunities, MH Retailers and You

No doubt you've noticed that land lease communities (aka MHCs) have taken a big part of the stage in manufactured housing in the recent years. There are many reasons, including the fact that new home shipments into MHCs are rising and the number of retailers has dropped like a rock in the last decade plus.

Now the reality is that MH 'street retailers' or 'boulevard retailers' still outsell MHCommunities (MHCs). So why is there so much emphasis on communities at meetings, industry trade media, by bloggers, etc.?

Part of the answer is that communities seem far more willing to share information than retailers do.

We routinely offer management, legal, marketing and sales columns in our Featured Articles, Tim's blog or the Cutting Edge of marketing and sales that are useful to retailers or a community owner/operators. We have special reports, like on the LO Comp rule, linked here that is useful for MHCs and MHRs.

But the number of MHRetailers willing to sit down at their keyboard and type out a guest column is paltry by comparison to those in the communities world.

The numbers of retailers who go to Louisville and Tunica are huge! MHRetailers come by the hundreds.  While MHC attendance at these events continues to rise, MHRs still bring more people to those events than communities pros.

Do you see my point?

If you are involved in retail, you can help change that under-coverage "by retailers, for retailers." I can imagine why a buyers group, a successful/notable independent or a vertically integrated operation would want to share some insights with the industry at large.

Are you in MHRetail and have a story to share? Please do. This is NOT a 'zero sum game.' As unusual as this may sound to some, sharing ways to improve is a proven path to growth for all involved. Our industry can use all the growth it can get.

Are you a supplier of HUD or MOD homes, financial services or other products/services to retailers? Same invite to write applies to you, please email me at latonyk@gmail.com.

MHCommunities

There are good reasons why we wanted to grow the attendance of MHCommunities in recent years at the Louisville Show, and are now working to do the same thing at the rapidly approaching 2014 Tunica Show.

In a nutshell, bringing more community owner/operators to these events is a no-brainer win-win for all involved. Wherever you are in North America, if you have an MHCommunity, you should not just consider going to the Tunica Show, you ought to change your plans to do so right away.

The reasons are many, but the bottom line is that those who go to these events routinely do better then those who skip them. Consider what CU Factory Built Lending's Barry Noffsinger says in this video. Barry is dead on!

Or think about why Terry Decio and others are so motivated in this video.

Or consider what Wally Coomer says in the video above; you put yourself and your business at a disadvantage when you miss such a show.

UMH Properties, Colonial Heights and You

Sam Landy, CEO of UMH Properties, has very graciously given me wide access to his team. It is easy to understand why.

Let me tell you, the folks at UMH are ones to watch. They have reasons to be proud of what they've done. They have doubled in size since 2009. Imagine! Doubling your footprint during the toughest economy since the great depression. That requires something special.

I was telling one of our other clients recently about the corporate culture at UMH. They are a "can do" team, and they frankly seem to admire, respect and are dedicated to Sam and his leadership. A positive atmosphere to work in is huge when it comes to marketing and sales. Good attitudes are supported by good work environments.

But let me dally for a few moments on the very popular column by a UMH manager at their Colonial Heights property.

There is a reason why I specifically asked for such a column to be written. There are other stories out there like it, and they need to be told!

Taking a tired, older MHP and turning it into a fresh, nicer MHC is a wonderful financial opportunity as well as a way of improving our industry's image.

We as an industry often tend to run away from the image of the older "mobile home park" (MHP).

First, that's a messaging mistake. The older MHPs are far more common than the newer, nicer MHCs. I look at some associations that essentially pretend (by not mentioning them…) that the older MHPs aren't there, while talking only about the great, newer MHCs.

Nonsense!  Show and brag about each for what they are! MHPs are often the ultimate in affordable single family living for all there, and are often a far better choice than a similarly aged apartment and are less costly than a similar aged neighborhood of older, conventional site built houses.

But they are more. They are an opportunity for turn-around, in just the fashion that UMH is doing at the story linked above. That's a win on many levels.

My closing invite for today is to get you to take to heart some words shared by Tim Williams, CEO of 21st Mortgage in our interview with him last year. Tim said that members of our industry are like a fraternity.

We indeed share more in common with our fellow retailers, MHC owner/operators, factory builders, vendors, installers, transporters and financial service providers than those outside of our specialized world. We ought to be wise enough to NOT put each other down to others.

More to the point, we need to share the ways we can improve and grow.

Just as you can take an older MHP and transform it into a nice MHC, so too retailers can take a rough looking location and turn it into something attractive and appealing. Yes, it takes some time and money. But guess what? You can then begin to attract more of the better credit or cash customers as part of the result.

Something as simple as a clean sales display with homes corner blocked and leveled, with the doors all easy to open and close, and good steps up to every home makes a huge difference in who your buyers are.  That's obvious to the great retailers, but it might be useful for those who look like a 'repo depot' style location.

The get me done customers will come to your location regardless. Make the decision to do what it takes to attract the better customer, and your business – and our industry – will grow as a result.

Please check out the business building finance and educational offerings – all free – at the rapidly approaching Tunica Show. Since Tunica does not yet have their own website, you can login to the free online registration at this link here.

Tunica Show Free Online Registration Link.

See you in Tunica?

We will be there. And we will be right by the seminar room, in the busy, busy hall of the Harrah Convention Center! We plan to have our little guy – "the youngest exhibitor" – passing out cards again as he did in Tunica last year and did so well in Louisville this year.

Make the decision to go. Make the decision to grow. No excuses, just do it, for your sake and that of your business that you will someday sell or hand over to others to carry on.

Agreeing to Disagree

Some ask or say to me words to this effect: Tony, I don't get it. You and Marty Lavin seem like polar opposites! Why do you like showcasing someone who sees things so differently than you do?

First, there are things that Marty and I agree on, but even where we don't see eye to eye, we can disagree professionally and still get along just fine.

The truth is, almost anyone we interview, anyone we showcase will see things differently than moi. That's life!

But it helps EVERYONE in the mix to see a variety of ideas. “We Provide, You Decide.” (c) 

While we are relaxing with the Lavin's on their 72' boat, please look for the weekend Masthead, you'll find the range of topics sure to catch your eye and spark some thinking! ##

 

L. A. 'Tony' Kovach
ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com | MHProNews.com |
Business and Public Marketing & Ads: B2B | B2C
Websites, Contract Marketing & Sales Training, Consulting, Speaking:

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